There are a wide variety of packaging kit systems and methods for securely immobilizing and packaging articles. Various methods have included the use of corrugated frames, fitted components prepared from polyurethane foam, and loose foam-type materials prepared from expandable polystyrene. Also available for protecting articles are foam or bubble wraps which have flexible foam sheets with a plurality of air-formed bubbles, or foam sheets which are wrapped about an article to be secured by die cut, corrugated cardboard, where the corrugated cardboard is die cut and then folded in a particular shape to form a cap or tray to contain the article to be packaged and shipped.
U.S. Pat. No. Re. 36,412, issued Nov. 30, 1999 (hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety) discloses a film tube or sleeve means, dimensioned and adapted to be pulled into a loosely fit position about a base sheet material in a generally loose-type fit when the sheet material is in a non-use position, and to fit closely in a huggable-type manner about the article when the base portion is used to immobilize the article. This permits the article to be immobilized and to be inserted between the base portion and the interior of the film tube when the base is in the folded article insertion position, and then when the end portions of the base are folded the sheet material is returned to a generally flat planar position. This movement immobilizes the article on the base portion by causing the film tube or sleeve means to stretch over the article and to hold the article in place on the base portion. The disadvantage of this system is that it does not easily accommodate variations in the size and shape of the article to be packaged, particularly when packaging small and/or flat articles which are prone to moving or sliding within the finished packaging.
It is desired to provide a system, apparatus and method for packaging articles of varying sizes and shapes on a base or sheet material, so as to minimize or prevent undue movement or sliding of the article within the package. It is further desired to provide a packaging system with an in situ, formed film so as to customize the size of the film tube to the size and shape of each article and to accelerate the packaging process, to form a film as required and to reduce the manual labor and cost of the packaging.
The invention is directed to a packaging kit, system, apparatus and method for immobilizing an article within a package, particularly odd-shaped, fragile articles. A film is formed in situ over or around the article placed on a base sheet material so as to form a cover or tube of film around the packaged product. Preferably, the invention relates to a film wrap package apparatus and method wherein a film is formed automatically about the base sheet material and article.
The system includes components for wrapping film around an article. The components of the system are positioned to create, in sequence and without limitation, an article load station, a film wrap station, a film seal station, and a recovery station for removing the film immobilized article on the base sheet material from the system. Preferably, all components can optionally be encompassed within a single apparatus. Alternatively, the system includes a set of modular components.
An article load station includes a moveable load board, generally configured to receive thereon a base sheet material or blank having a longitudinal fold line. Preferably, the load board is angular, or V-shaped, to confer an angular or V-shape on the base sheet material. When the film-surrounded base sheet material and article are later removed from the load board, flattening of the base sheet material confers tension on the film surround. The longitudinal fold line can be in a central position on the base sheet material, or can be off-center. The article is placed on the base portion of the blank sheet material on the load board. By xe2x80x9cbase portionxe2x80x9d is meant that portion of the base sheet material that is co-planar and contiguous with the article placed thereon.
In the film wrap station position, the load board and article, or the load board alone, are moved toward the seal bed. Movement is within a film curtain to wrap and stretch the film over the top of the load board and article, and to apply tension to the film prior to sealing the film. Where the arm is a pivotable arm, the arm rotates the load board toward the seal bed, so as to place the seal edge in plane with the seal arm. Where the arm is moved laterally toward the seal arm, the seal bed can be moved upward to meet the seal edge.
At the film seal station position, the load board and article with the tensioned film thereover are moved toward the seal bed, and the film is sealed. In one embodiment, where the system components are parts of a single apparatus, the load board is rotated toward the seal bed. Alternatively, the arm holding the load board can be moved laterally toward the seal bed. Preferably, the film is sealed by heat sealing opposing layers of film. By sealing the film, a cover, tube, wrap or surround of film is formed about the load board, with the heat seal at the trailing edge of the film. This separates the trailing edge of the sealed film from the leading edge of the film that is to be sealed around the next article that is packaged by the system.
The system further includes an article recovery station where the package, including the article enclosed within the film on the sheet material, is removed from the system, and the end flaps of the sheet material are folded up or down. This straightens the planar surface of the sheet material and immobilizes the article in position. The folded-up sheet material and immobilized article are then removed, and optionally, placed in a packaging container, such as an outer carton, with the end flaps down to position the article above the surface of the carton, or with the end flaps up to provide end protection for the immobilized article.
The invention further relates to a packaging apparatus for tension-film wrap of an article to be packaged on a product base, which system includes an article load station which comprises an arm, e.g., a pivotable or lateral arm, having a one and other end and arranged and constructed to, e.g., pivot at one end in a generally lateral, arcuate pivotable movement between a product load station, a film wrap station, and a film seal station. An article load platform at the other end of the arm receives a product base thereon and receives a product to be packaged on the platform-supported product base. The apparatus also includes a film wrap station which includes a roll source, or source of a thermoplastic film material, to be used to tension-film wrap the product on the product base supported on the platform at the film wrap station, and the film material from the roll arranged and constructed to form a film curtain about the platform at the product load station and film wrap station and to extend the film material in a stretched tension position over the top of the product and base at the film wrap station.
The apparatus further includes a film seal station which includes a seal bed and a seal arm which move between an open, non-seal position to permit the passage of film material, and a closed, seal position to seal the film material and form a film about the product and product base and to sever the sealed film material at a trailing end of the film material to provide a film-wrapped product and to form a sealed leading edge of the film material for the next product to be packaged. Further, the apparatus includes a means to move the pivotable arm sequentially between the stations with the platform spaced apart from one side of the roll source and within the film curtain at the product head station. The platform, product base, and product are positioned generally directly over the roll source at the film wrap station. In this manner, the film material is tension-stretched over the product and product base at one edge of the product and over another edge of the product as the pivotable arm moves to the film seal station. A film wrapped product on the platform is spaced apart on the other side of the roll source to permit the film material""s trailing edge to be sealed and cut to produce a film wrap over the product and product base on the support platform for removal.
A method of film packaging a product on a product base includes providing an arm with a load platform at one end, surrounding the arm with a film curtain of an elastic, thermoplastic film material, placing a product base on the platform, placing a product to be packaged on the product base, moving, e.g., pivotably rotating, the arm and platform with the product base and product to stretch the film material across the top of the package; sealing together two layers of the film material adjacent one edge of the product base to form a film about the product, the other edge of film sealed in a previous packaging setup to provide a film-wrapped product; severing the sealed two layers to mount the film curtain; and removing the film-wrapped product or the product base from the platform.
The invention relates to a packaging apparatus for the tension-wrap of an article within a film on a base sheet material. The apparatus includes a load board to receive a base sheet material and an article to be packaged; a roll source of a thermoplastic film material; a means to form a surrounding curtain of the thermoplastic film material about the load board with the base sheet material and article on the sheet material; a means to move the load board within the curtain sequentially to a load station, a film wrap station and a film seal station for the removal of the film-tension wrapped packaged article on the sheet material, and to repeat the movement; and a thermoplastic film seal means to seal the leading and then the trailing end of the thermoplastic film about the article on the sheet material on the load platform to form a film about the article on the sheet material on the load board.
The invention will be described for the purpose of illustration only in connection with certain embodiments; however, it is recognized that those persons skilled in the art may make various changes, additions, deletions, and improvements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.